“Glee” Producers Searching for a way to end Series as Reports of Naya Rivera’s Firing Circulate

Last April, “Glee” was renewed for a fifth and sixth season, but instead of airing the two installments back-to-back, fans will have to wait over a year before the show, which just wrapped its fifth season, returns.

FOX is embarking on a new, year-long programming schedule, so “Glee” has been left out of their 2014-2015 lineup and won’t return until fall 2015.

The odd premiere date has raised questions about whether or not the season will be cut short. Because the show will return to air in the middle of the year, many wonder if the 22-episode season would be cut to just 13 episodes, in order to fit in with the FOX lineup.

During a recent conference call, Kevin Reilly, the entertainment chairman for the Fox Broadcasting Co., addressed the issue.

“The order currently is for 22, but we’re actually going to sit down with Ryan [Murphy] and really talk about how we’re going to end it and figure that out,” Reilly told reporters, via The Hollywood Reporter. “The advantage of having it on later in the season is that we don’t have to feel the pressure of delivering. We can do them in a row. We’re going to sit down and talk about exactly the best way to end the show and how many [episodes] that is.”

According to Reilly, having the extended break in between seasons will give producers more time to create a sufficient conclusion to the show, as well as allow the network to air all the episodes in a row, without repeats.

As for casting, the network hasn’t yet announced the official season six cast, but it is likely that all the main characters will return — even Naya Rivera.

On April 25, Us Weekly reported that Rivera had engaged in an on-set feud with her co-star, Lea Michele. Apparently, Rivera had grown jealous of Michele’s lead role on the show and the issue led to tension between them.

According to Us Weekly’s source, Rivera and Michele were “always icy to each other,” and during filming, there was plenty of signing and eye-rolling between them. The source also claimed the pair talked behind each other’s backs.

However, despite reports claiming the feud resulted in Rivera being written out of the show, the network has since confirmed that Rivera has not been fired from “Glee.”

“There is no truth to the rumor Naya has been fired from the show,” FOX Network said in a statement released to The Associated Press. “She remains under contract to `Glee.'”